One in FOUR knife criminals in Lancashire are reoffenders

More than a quarter of criminals cautioned or convicted for knife offences in Lancashire have already been caught carrying a blade.

New Ministry of Justice data reveals that Lancashire Police took action against 482 people in the 12 months to September 2018, either for possession of a knife as a weapon or threatening someone with one.

Of those 135, or 28 per cent, had at least one previous offence for carrying a knife, and 27 of the criminals had three or more past offences.

That figure has increased by 11 per cent since 2014-15, when 122 of those successfully prosecuted had reoffended. Police bosses say this could be down to improved identification techniques.